Job Description: Quality Assurance Jobs (mid-level)

Business people who love to take control of a project and make sure everything is running smoothly from A to Z are well-suited for QA jobs. Not only are those in QA (Quality Assurance) sought after, but they’re well-paid for their skills, at least in most industries.

The Job

Work realities:
QA job holders are kind of the moral and ethical heart of a company. They make sure everything runs smoothly, and that no corners are being cut. In other words, they ensure customers – and compliance officers – satisfied with the product or service. Typically, they are very detail-oriented folks with a penchant for keeping things in their places. They can spot a problem, and when they see it, they know how to fix it… or at least where to go for the solution.

The median salary range for those in the QA marketplace ranges extensively, although some sources suggest that a mid-level QA employee can expect to make around $80,000 annually.

Reporting to:
QA workers may report to a variety of personnel members depending upon the vertical in which they work. For instance, a QA job in a bank or financial institution may require the QA personnel member to report to a vice president. On the other hand, a QA employee within an engineering firm may report to a mid-level manager or even the CEO.

Duties:
The day-to-day duties and responsibilities for QA job holders can vary widely. Generally speaking, though, they have to be able to navigate around a computer, and be comfortable with database management. They may even be required to be in laboratories, if working in a scientific capacity, such as within pharmaceutical companies or healthcare research clinics.

For the QA professional who is a contractor, job skills and duties may be even more wide-ranging depending upon the number of clients he or she serves.

Future possibilities:
A QA job can be a great stepping stone for future promotions and employment, as someone who has proven him- or herself to excel at quality assurance can be seen as an asset in the labor market.

Required Skills and Training

Education:
In most cases, QA job advertisements require some kind of higher degree. Though this isn’t always the case, it’s not uncommon for QA job postings to give preference to candidates with B.S. degrees or M.S. degrees.

Experience:
The more money a QA job is offering, the more experience in the quality assurance world that the candidate should have. Keeping this in mind, it isn’t impossible to get a QA position without a lot of experience; however, it’s a good idea to connect oneself to the QA world prior by joining an applicable nonprofit, getting a mentor in the QA field or snagging an internship during university.

Skills and Certifications:
QA jobs may require additional skills or certifications of employees. Some of these could include further training in ERP, industry regulations, SQL, HTML, Microsoft and ISO levels, among others.